Pneumatic arch support



G. s. BARKER PNEUIATIG ARCH SUPPORT Jdy 7, 1925.

Filed oct. 50, 1923 INVENTOR. 650mm 5). BARKE R- i A TTORNi.

Patented July 7, 1925.

UNITED STATES GEORGE S. BARKER, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

PNEUMATIC ARCH SUPPORT.

Application filed October 30, 1923. Serial No. 671,728.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE S. BARKER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Denver, in the county of Denver and State of Colorado, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Arch Supports,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to pneumatic devices for supporting the arch ofthe foot and has for its principal object the construction of an archsupport of this type in which it will be impossible for the weight ofthe user to distort the useful shape of the sup port by forcing air fromthat part of the support which is supporting the greater weight to thoseparts under less outside pressure, thereby defeating the primary purposeof an arch support.

lVhen an arch support is placed under the foot of a person having fallenarches or What is commonly known as flat feet, practically the entireweight of the person is brought to bear on the highest point of the archsupport. This is necessarily so since the support is shaped to conformto the normal foot, which arches inward, while the wearers foot haslittle or no inward arch and must therefore contact with the high pointof the arch support. The purpose of the arch support is to force andhold the foot of the wearer in the normal arch to which the arch supportconforms.

All types of pneumatic or fluid contain ing arch supports, of which theapplicant is aware, fail to accomplish this purpose for the reason thatwhen the pressure of the user is exerted, as above noted, the air willflow from that part of the support subjected to the first and greatestpressure, to-wit, the apex of the arch, to other parts of the supportuntil the pressure is neutral at all points and the arch support hasconformed to the fallen arch of the user instead of causing the usersfallen arch to conform to the normal arch of the arch support. Thiscauses the support to swell, alternately under the heel and ball of thefoot as the wearer is walking, where it accomplishes no useful purposeand causes great discomfort to the wearer. It is for this reason thatpneumatic arch supports have not been a commercial success.

With applicants invention it is impossible for the arch support toconform itself to the arch of the user to any perceptible extent and, asa result, the arch of the foot is forced to conform itself to the normalarch of the support.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detailed construction of theinvention, which result in simplicity, economy, and efficiency, andwhich will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention reference is hadto the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numeralsrefer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout thedescription.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a perspective view of the applicants completearch support.

Figure 2 is a perspective View of the pneumatic core used in the device.

Figure 3 is a horizontal plane section taken on the line 3-3, Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is a vertical cross section through the pneumatic core, takenon the line 4-4,

The invention comprises a hollow pneumatic core 10, a relatively heavysole 11, and flexible casing 12. The core 10 is provided with an airValve 13 which, however, forms no part of the present invention.

The principal object of the invention is accomplished by the novelconstruction of the core 10 acting in conjunction with the relativelystiff, formed sole 11. v

Core 10 is a hollow air container of elastic material, such as rubber,having an upper wall 14 shaped to conform to the normal foot arch, aflat lower wall 15 and a flat side wall 16. The upper and lower walls 14and 15 join along the side of the core in a knife edge 20. Runninglongitudinally through the approximate middle of the core 10 throughoutthe entire length thereof is a longitudinal partition 17.

Transverse partitions, 18, connect the longitudinal partition 17 and theside wall 16. Radial partitions, 19, connect the longitudinal partition17 and the knife edge 20, of the core 10.

The partitions 17, 18, and 19, all firmly connect with both the bottomwall 15 and the top wall 14, and are preferably formed of a materialhaving flexibility but little or no elasticity.

Small openings,21, are formed in each of the partitions to allow the airfrom the valve 13 to reach all parts of the core. It

will be noted that the entire interior of the core 10 is divided into aseries of small cells approximately equal in area.

In use the greatest outside pressure will come, as before described,over the middle cells. This will naturally tend to force the air throughthe openings 21 into the outer cells but, as the walls of the outercells are all tied together by the inelastic partitions 17, 18, and 19,they can expand but slightly and will not distort and allow the supportto conform to the shape of the applied pressure. The result is that theair pressure in the entire support will increase to support the outsidepressure but the core will still conform to its original shape.

The upper wall 14% is prevented from bowing out-ward between thepartitions by the stiff sole 11 against which it is tightly cemented.The lower wall 15 and the side wall 16 cannot bow outward as they aresupported by the shoe of the user.

The sole 11 is of leather and is molded and shaped to conform to theshape of the core 10 before being cemented thereto.

After the core and sole are fixed together, the casing 12 of softflexible leather is cemented around the side and bottom of the entirearch support completing the article.

lVhile a specific form of the improvement has been described andillustrated herein, it is desired to be understood that the same may bevaried, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing fromthe spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired securedby Let ters Patent is 1. In a pneumatic arch support, the combination ofan elastic air container shaped to lit to the normal foot arch; acontinuous vertical longitudinal partition extending the full length ofsaid container and vertical transverse partitions connecting saidlongitudinal partition with the walls of said container, all of saidpartitions connecting both with the top and with the bottom of saidcontainer and each of said partitions being provided with an opening.

2. In a pneumatic arch support, the combination of an elastic aircontainer shaped to lit to the normal foot arch; a vertical longitudinalpartition extending the full length of said container and verticaltransverse partitions connecting said longitudinal partition with thewalls of said container, all of said partitions connecting both with thetop and with the bottom of said container and being non-elastic and eachof said partitions being provided with an opening.

In testimony whereof, I allix my signature.

GEORGE S. BARKER.

